Hide and Seek
by Penn Langley
Summary: She's been missing for years and after a chance encounter he thinks he's found the missing Fire Nation princess. The whole idea seems impossible, even more impossible when the girl everyone's been looking for happens to be his waitress.


Kaida walked into Korra's room watching her pull on the last of her gear. The water tribe girl had become one of Kaida's closest friends during her time at the South Pole.

"Are you ready?" She asked putting her hands on Korra's shoulders forcing Korra to look at her. Korra gave her a confident grin and stepped back.

"I always am." Kaida gave her a skeptical look but grinned anyway.

"Did you do those breathing exercises I showed you?"

"Yes." Kaida sighed knowing that Korra wouldn't have listened to her anyway. Breathing exercises were never really Korra's area of expertise anyway.

"No, you didn't. That doesn't matter though just remember everything I taught you and don't forget fire is the element of power. The people of the Fire Nation have the desire and will, and the energy and drive to achieve what they want. You do too, otherwise you wouldn't be able to firebend."

"Kaida don't worry so much. I'll do fine. I did have the best firebender in the world teach me after all." Korra said pulling on a lock of Kaida's fiery red hair. She still didn't get how a person could have hair that colorful. Kaida swatted Korra's hand away as if she were a fly.

"As true as that is," Kaida said grinning "Master Zhi is in charge of your testing and it will be him who determines whether or not you pass."

"Is he really that bad?"

"My mother hired him to train me when I was younger and he told me that I was the worst firebender ever born."

"He really said that?"

"Yeah. I threatened to have him killed so he stayed away ever since."

"Korra?" Katara said walking into the girl's room. "Are you ready?"

"Yes. I am," Korra said shooting Kaida a grin before following Katara out of the room.

A tired smile spread on Kaida's face. It had been six months since she had come to the South Pole to take over Korra's firebending training after her old teacher had to go back to the Fire Nation because of a family emergency. Although she had spent a year with the Northern Water Tribe she still wasn't used to the bitter cold that was so different from both the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdoms. Korra proved to be more then a challenge to teach and teaching her meant having to stay at the compound until she mastered the element. Kaida had spent the first week here moping about unused to the caged life after having spent the past four years traveling on her own. Kaida would be leaving for Republic city in a week if Korra passed her test and although she would never admit it a part of her would miss life here at the compound. Kaida sighed and made her way to the training fields to watch Korra's test which had already begun.

Kaida laughed openly seeing Zhi's face as Korra flamboyantly held of the attacks.

"She's strong," Katara commented, winking at Kaida.

Master Zhi pursed his lips and replied sounding unimpressed as he watched Korra. "She lacks restraint." Kaida cheered as she saw Korra flip into the air sending an arc of fire toward her last remaining opponent throwing him to the floor.

Korra releases shout of excitement as she throws her arms into the air before she catches sight of the indifferent men standing beside Kaida. "Hey, why all the doom and gloom, people?" she asks removing her helmet. "We should be celebrating. Three elements down, one to go." Kaida shakes her head at Korra, who only shoots her a sheepish smile, as Master Zhi speaks.

"You're getting ahead of yourself as usual, Korra. We haven't decided if you passed your firebending test yet. Ever since you were a little girl, you've excelled at the physical side of bending, but completely ignored the spiritual side. The Avatar must master both. Even Kaida was able to do so."

Kaida sneers at Master Zhi. "I had a dragon teach me how to master my bending. What Korra needs is someone to train her in the spiritual side of being an avatar, something that she will learn soon."

"I haven't ignored it, it just doesn't come as easy to me. But that's why I should start training with Tenzin immediately. He's Mister Spiritual." Kaida laughed slightly knowing just how well the description fit Tenzin.

One of the White Lotus members moves forward to talk to Katara, "Do you believe she's ready, Master Katara?"

A soft smile crosses Katara's face as she addresses the man, "Yes. If anyone can teach her what she needs to learn, it's Tenzin."

"Very well, Korra. Its time for you to begin your airbending training," the man says rather reluctantly.

Yes! Finally!" Korra shouts jumping in the air before realizing she still had an audience. "I mean, thank you all for believing in me." Korra bowed before waking off in search of Naga. Kaida moves to follow her but Katara grips her arm.

"We need to talk," she says more gravely then Kaida's ever seen her. Kaida nods and follows her into the compound. It had been rather impressive when she had first arrived her but now it seemed less impressive and more like a prison to Kaida. It was of course nothing compared to the palace she had seen at the Northern Water Tribe. Kaida let Katara led her into dining room where she helped Katara into a seat and then moved into the kitchen to make some tea. Tea seemed to be more a luxury then Kaida was used to which meant most of her tea had been used.

"Thank you," Katara said as Kaida poured her some tea.

"It's nothing." Kaida responded and after a few moments asked, "What did you want to tell me?"

"Your grandparents are coming," Katara, said not even attempting to sugarcoat it. Kaida froze and set her tea down. Her grandparents had a knack for finding her and hadn't bother to give up their search even though it had been four years since she had run away. Kaida barely escaped seeing them every single time.

"How did they know I was here?" Kaida narrowed her eyes as she saw Katara look around the room before her eyes settled on a spot behind her head.

"I may have let it slip to Tenzin."

"And he just decided to tell my grandparents."

"I may have asked him too."

"Even though I asked you not to."

"You have to see them sometime. You can't run forever Kaida."

"I'm not… I… I am not running. I 'm just not ready Katara. I don't want to fail them. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I did."

"You're not failing anyone Kaida. Your grandparents love you. Your parents miss you and your brother is constantly looking for you. They'll understand. It's okay to be scared everyone is but you have to be able to admit it and learn to face it. " Katara said patting Kaida's arm before getting up to leave. She knew Katara was right and that staying and seeing her grandparents would be the right thing to do but, the only thing that would result from that would be her going back home.

_Kaida had just turned 15 when her mother announced that she would be heir to the throne. Iroh had been adamant about pursuing his military career while Kaida preferred to spend her days with the grandfather Zuko. Although having been raised as royalty her whole life Kaida never thought it would be her would to become the next Fire Lord. In the weeks following her mother's announcement Kaida found herself swamped with a new schedule and meetings with people she hardly new in order to prepare her for her future role. Kaida wasn't allowed to leave the palace grounds without guards and her trip to Republic City with her grandparents had been canceled._

_Most of it Kaida didn't mind seeing as she had seen her mother doing it her whole life. She could handle the diplomats and paperwork but the thought of people relying on her to rule over them, to keep them safe scared her to death. She found herself so full of fear that she would lash out on anyone who questions her. She threatened the palace servants when they would do something wrong almost banishing one. What scared Kaida most of all however was ending up like Azula, the women she had never met but was endlessly compared. At school it was always her trailing after Iroh and his friends because people were scared of her and her blue fire. Her parents and grandparents told her over and over again that she and Azula were nothing alike and people only thought so because of their firebending. People still held on to the hate that was brought on during Ozai's rule and Kaida wouldn't add to that just because someone looked at her the wrong way or said the wrong thing. So she left in the dead of the night with nothing more then a few gold coins and a bag she had packed. Kaida vowed that she wouldn't come back until she knew that she could rule and rule peacefully upholding the honor that Zuko had restored to the Fire Nation. _

She wouldn't go back to the Fire Nation like this, not now when she still had so much to learn before she could rule. Zuko fought for his honor and her mother had fought for her right to rule even though she was a woman. Kaida had to fight her own fear, the fear that was so great at times it was almost agonizing. She had to learn to be brave and that in itself was terrifying.


End file.
